Rs1.5 Billion Fake Court Fee Stamp Scam Uncovered in Punjab Courts, Including Lahore
LAHORE: A massive Rs1.5 billion scam involving the production and sale of counterfeit court fee stamps has been uncovered in courts across Punjab, including Lahore, with the alleged fraud causing huge losses to the national exchequer.
Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court Justice Aalia Neelum has taken strict notice of the alleged fraud and financial losses to the national treasury, ordering action against those involved.
The chief justice observed that those involved in defrauding the judicial system and causing losses to the national exchequer would not deserve any leniency.
Acting on her directions, a major network involved in manufacturing and selling fake court fee stamps across courts in Lahore and other parts of Punjab was exposed.
According to details, the Anti-Corruption Establishment conducted raids at various offices in the District Courts and seized equipment allegedly used in the counterfeiting operation.
Several suspects have reportedly been arrested, while raids are continuing to apprehend other individuals involved in the alleged scam.
The Copy Branch in-charge of the Civil Court and the record keeper of Model Town Courts have also been nominated in the case.
The Anti-Corruption Establishment registered a case against nine individuals, including Copy Branch In-charge Zamanullah and Record Keeper Ijaz Ahmed.
Machines allegedly used to manufacture counterfeit court fee stamps were recovered from the suspects, along with hundreds of thousands of fake stamps.
Investigators have also discovered that counterfeit court fee stamps were allegedly being used to obtain certified copies of judicial documents.
Instead of depositing millions of rupees in government accounts, the amounts collected through the sale of fake stamps were allegedly misappropriated, resulting in substantial losses to the national treasury.
Sources said Lahore alone was expected to generate approximately Rs1.5 million in court fee revenue daily. However, significant discrepancies have emerged between the expected revenue and the amounts reflected in official government records.
A comparison of judicial workload and government revenue deposited during 2025 and 2026 has also revealed a substantial gap, raising suspicions of systematic theft of public revenue through counterfeit court fee stamps.
The investigation into the alleged scam has been expanded, with authorities beginning to identify government officials and other individuals who may have played a role in the operation.
